You are here:

Forrest General Hospital and Extra Table announce art show winners

Hattiesburg, Miss. (December 4, 2015)– Forrest General Heart and Vascular Services, in conjunction with Extra Table, announced the winners of the first ever Home is Where the Heart is for the Holidays themed art competition, Friday, December 4. To compete, students from Forrest and Lamar County school districts decorated handmade cards based on the competition theme. Two finalists from each grade level were selected to represent their school in the final competition.

The competition was judged by Dinny St. John, long-time art educator; Wyatt Waters, prominent Mississippi artist and owner of Wyatt Waters Gallery, and Ivey Swan, arts advocate. The following were the kindergarten through 5th grade division: Sarah Bryd from Woodley Elementary in first place, Joel Vaughn from Woodley Elementary in second place, and Kara Mai Sellers from Thames Elementary in third place. The winners for the 6th grade through 8th grade division were: Maggie Cagle of Purvis Middle School in first place, Ladd Barrett from Purvis Middle School in second place, and Haley Ladner for Petal Upper Elementary in third place. Mississippi Comprehensive Cancer Control Program - Southern Region generously provided prizes for the winners.

All of the handmade cards are available for purchase and can be used as an ‘alternative gift’ to Extra Table in honor of friends and loved ones. This holiday season, Extra Table will be working to distribute tons of fresh, healthy food to more than 20 soup kitchens and food pantries throughout Mississippi in an effort to help feed the over 670,000 Mississippians who are hungry every day.

“People cannot be heart healthy without access to fresh food. Forrest General is proud to partner with Extra Table in the fight against food insecurity and heart disease in Mississippi. Forrest General uses the latest technology and treatment options available to help those already struggling heart and vascular conditions, and we recognize the vital role Extra Table plays in distributing nutritious food to Mississippi’s most vulnerable families,” said Millie Swan, Forrest General’s chief marketing and medical staff services officer

Handmade cards are available for purchase for $5 through www.extratable.org. Cards will be packaged and sent to desired recipients prior to the Christmas holiday. For more information about Home is Where the Heart is for the Holidays or Extra Table, visit www.extratable.org.

Pictured: Forrest, the little deer, and his friend, Emerald, posing with the 6th through 8th grade winners: left to right: second place winner, Ladd Barrett from Purvis Middle School; first place winner, Maggie Cagle of Purvis Middle School; and third place winner, Haley Ladner for Petal Upper Elementary

Media Contact

All media related inquiries should be directed to Amanda Kirby, Media Coordinator, by email or phone at 601-288-1303.